Playful Practice

That is, can we zero in on specific tasks and feel exuberant at the same time?

Absolutely! And I think we’re at our most creative when we do.

Here are 4 ways I've found to bring playfulness to deliberate practice.

1. Toy with ProblemsWhen we practice, we perpetually run into problems, some technical, others artistic. Yet by surmounting problems we extend our abilities, so, in a sense, we need problems.

Sometimes, though, we stop seeing difficulties as opportunities and begin treating them as aggravating obstacles, and then our inspiration drains away.

To keep the creative juices flowing in my practice, I toy with problems. I’ll try one solution, then another, learning and laughing as ideas hit dead ends. I enjoy the process because I know that I’ll find rewarding solutions in the end.

For more about my playful approach to problem-solving, see pages 54-70 of my book The Musician’s Way.

2. Repeat with WonderSome people might think that we repeat in practice to congeal phrases into unchanging forms.

Not so.

With every repetition of a phrase, I create something new – a subtler dynamic curve, a smoother legato, a creamier tone. My ears are wide with wonder at the possibilities that each musical gesture contains.

Of course, we rely on repetition to instill secure mental maps of pieces, but with a playful approach, we can navigate those maps in near-infinite ways. Then, even the titles we’ve performed for years stay fresh.